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Comments & ID Thoughts
I found this beast at the top of the basement wall. In fact this is the second one. It is 3-4 inches across. I don't know what it is but my guess is it's a Wolf spider. Should I kill it? The first one I let room free in the finished part of the basement until I found him upstairs the next day. Not cool. This fella is hunting in the unfinished side.
- Submitted by:
- Submitted: Apr 7, 2019
- Photographed: Apr 7, 2019
- Spider: Dolomedes tenebrosus (Dark Fishing Spider)
- Location: Dalmatia, Pennsylvania, United States
- Spotted Indoors: Basement or Cellar
- Found in web?: No
- Attributes: Dorsal
Dec 16, 2023
Dec 16, 2023
Channing, 
Hi. This is one of the nursery web spiders, Dolomedes genus(fishing spiders) Dolomedes tenebrosus species.
Called dark fishing spiders.
Their size can intimidate many not used to them, but they are quite harmless and gentle giants, just quick if spooked, not aggressive unless protecting eggs or young.
https://bugguide.net/node/view/2011
I would just let her stay, trying to catch these is easiest by hand and a good challenge:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=14KGY6G7Jjo
Thanks for the reply. What’s the telltale sign for you that it’s Dolomedes Tenebrosus? Is it the markings? And I can’t tell from my pic but it looks like it has eight eyes?
A mix of the dark ‘Hilton’ face pattern and what look like light finger from the bottom of the abdomen.
added–
https://bugguide.net/node/view/716392
Another very similar is Dolomedes albineus,white banded fishing spider, they have a white band across the face pattern and usually white areas of the carapace, otherwise, much the same spider.
Often mistaken for wolf spiders, these prefer vertical chilling places and their legs spread and extended. Makes them look bigger. One of this genus is considered north Americas largest true spiders,up to 5 inches across the legs and 38MM body.(giant swamp spider)
Shannon with hers:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y1p8bx374nM